The Andorian Incident (episode)
Enterprise visits a Vulcan monastery, only to find that it has been taken over by the Andorians. Summary Teaser Several hooded Vulcan priests are meditating in a monastery, when there is a loud banging. The doors fly open and four aliens walk into the room... Andorians. Act One In the ready room, Trip Tucker is telling Captain Archer that using the Vulcan star charts takes all fun out of being explorers. Archer replies that Humans have never been to these places and mentions that a protostar encountered a week before was nowhere to be seen on the charts. Trip jokes that if the charts are inaccurate, good luck getting the Vulcans to admit it. T'Pol enters, saying that Archer wished to see her. He explains that while going through the charts he found a remote outpost on a planet a few light years off from their current heading. T'Pol replies that she is aware of the outpost, which she calls P'Jem. She describes it as an ancient Vulcan spiritual retreat, a place for kolinahr and peaceful meditation. Archer's interest is piqued and he asks if they could visit. T'Pol replies that the Vulcans may object to the intrusion. However, Archer decides that it is worth a detour and has Ensign Mayweather change course. T'Pol notes that she will find the proper protocols for the visit, and leaves. Later, she is sharing a meal with Dr. Phlox in the mess hall. He observes that she seems hesitant about being seen with a Human crew. She remarks that it would create a "certain awkwardness." Phlox states that he sometimes feels out of place aboard ''Enterprise'' and reminds her of the Vulcan motto 'Infinite diversity in infinite combinations'. Phlox states that the Human mission is to seek diversity, so a Human/Vulcan cultural exchange is simply fulfilling that mission. In the launch bay, Trip incredulously asks that the monks don't even know that they are coming. T'Pol states simply that it was not possible to hail the monastery, as the monks consider technology a distraction from their spiritual pursuits. T'Pol then explains that they should not speak to anyone unless spoken to first, talk to anyone who appears to be meditating, or touch any relics or ornamentation. The three then enter the shuttlepod. Planetside, the trio notes that door to the monastery looks bashed in. T'Pol rings for admittance, but no one answers. They enter anyway, but are told by a solitary monk that they have arrived at the time of kolinahr and that the order must remain in silent reflection for the rest of the lunar cycle. Disappointed, they only wait for the reception of the stone of J'Kah before leaving. However, T'Pol notes that their are too few monks in the main atrium, and that a figure of Surak appears to have been knocked over. Archer and Trip pretend to wander around aimlessly, looking at the monastery. When Trip remarks on a broken vase, the monk states that kohlinar encourages the members of the orders to face their emotions and that the repercussions can sometimes be violent. The threesome are not convinced, and continued to wander until Archer spots the reflection of a blue alien hiding behind a wooden frame. Trip and Archer rush the frame, knocking over the alien. Before they can restrain him fully, more rush in and take the three hostage. Act Two The three are led to a back room where the rest of the monks are being held. The blue-skinned aliens, who turn out to be Andorians, are led by Commander Shran, who questions Archer about their reasons for visiting the monastery. They try to explain that they were merely curious, but the Andorians refuse to believe them – partially because they are traveling with a Vulcan. Shran states that their arrival proved that this was far more than a sanctuary. After the Andorians leave, the T'Pol and the monks explain that Andorians are known for their suspicious and volatile nature. Vulcans and Andorians are from two neighboring systems and have been in conflict for many years. A treaty was signed to alleviate tensions, but some factions still believed that the Vulcans were bent on conquest of the Andorian homeworld. When Trip asks why they invaded P'Jem, the head monk explains that the Andorians believe the Vulcans are hiding a long-range sensor array. They have come twice before, but usually left within a day. Unfortunately, Archer's arrival has amplified their suspicions. Back on Enterprise in the situation room, Lieutenant Reed points out an alien vessel that the sensors have detected. He is distressed that they had scanned for alien ships before sending down the landing party and that they have not heard from Archer in some time. Hoshi Sato and Mayweather tell him that he's over reacting and the Captain is probably on some tour or observing some meditation ritual. Archer is being interrogated brutally about the location of the sensor array. Shran questions him about why he has a Vulcan science officer. After punching Archer in the face again, Shran hears a slight chirping noise. Archer explains that it is Enterprise trying to contact him. Shran answers the communicator and states that Archer is a prisoner of the Andorian Imperial Guard and that he knows that they are collaborating with the Vulcans. He threatens to kill hostages if Enterprise tries anything. Shran then destroys the communicators. Memorable Quotes "Whose idea was it to visit this place?" : - Archer "Don't get your antennas all up in a twist." : - Trip Tucker Background Information *This episode was chosen as the #2 "fan favorite" in an on-line poll conducted by UPN. It was re-broadcast on in this capacity. Note: The poll was conducted before the final six episodes of the series were aired. *When aired as a fan-favorite, the opening credits were updated to the Season 3 and 4 version. However, this is not the case on the DVD release. *This episode was the first episode to prominently feature Andorians since the Original Series. *This episode marks the first appearance of Commander Shran (Jeffrey Combs) and the updated makeup design for the Andorians by Michael Westmore. *Surak is mentioned for the first time on ENT in this episode and later appears in the Season 4 episodes "Awakening" and "The Forge". *It is implied that Reed came up with the future stipulation that landing parties had to check in every ten minutes. Links and References Guest Stars *Jeffrey Combs as Shran *Bruce French as Vulcan Elder *Steven Dennis as Tholos *Jeff Ricketts as Keval *Richard Tanner as Vulcan Initiate *Jamie McShane as Tactical Crewman *Solomon Burke, Jr. as Billy (uncredited) Species Mentioned/Seen *Andorians *Vulcans References Andoria; Andorians; Andorian Empire; Andorian Imperial Guard; bacteria; Blarney Stone; Brahe, Tycho; Buddha; Canton; Haadok; IDIC; kolinahr; krellide power cell; nasal numbing agent; Ngari; Ohio; P'Jem; "pinkskin"; protostar; salad; San Francisco Zoo; Stone of J'Kah; Tibet; Vulcans; Vulcan database; Vulcan High Command; Vulcan star charts; Surak; Thon |next= }} Andorian Incident, The de:Doppeltes Spiel es:The Andorian Incident nl:The Andorian Incident pl:The Andorian Incident sv:The Andorian Incident